How to Spot Signs of Burnout

When it all becomes too much

It's easy to assume that burnout is something that only happens to other people. We tend to think to ourselves that it's only highflyers and workaholics, who are susceptible to burnout or exhaustion

But me? Oh no, definitely not me!

Yet more often than not, it's people who don’t identify as a highflyer or workaholic that are suffering from burnout.

So, what is the meaning of burnout?

According to the World Health Organisation, burnout syndrome can be defined as an ‘occupational phenomenon’, meaning that it’s a specific work-related type of stress. It's no secret that we're living in a time when we are always 'on' (so much so that we forget what it's like to be 'off').

As a result, more and more people are falling foul to burnout as we juggle the demands of work (which no longer sits tidily between the hours of 9 am to 5 pm). Plus, there’s the daily commute battle just to get to work!

Then factor in all the other demands placing strain on our lives, such as the pressure to maintain our personal relationships with lovers, friends and family, keep our health in tip-top shape and squeeze in time to pursue our own interests… the list goes on and on. 

It’s hardly surprising then that so many of us are struggling.

5 common burnout symptoms

Burnout leaves people feeling mentally exhausted, emotionally wiped out and generally fed up with life. If any of the following symptoms sound familiar, it’s time to take action:

1.    Feeling emotionally and physically drained to the point of chronic exhaustion?

2.    Difficulty getting motivated or feeling enthusiastic about life?

3.    Swamped by cynicism about life in general?

4.    Feeling ineffective and that you’re underachieving?

5.    Trouble switching off at night and experiencing interrupted sleep?

It’s important to understand that constantly living with stress is a signal that something needs to change. Often we assume stress is the result of working too many hours or having a large workload. But this is often overly simplistic.

Although these can be stressful – and it is not healthy to be constantly working and striving – this is merely a symptom of more fundamental aspects of a life that’s out of balance. Long-term stress is complex and the result of the emotional and cognitive approaches we have learnt to rely on over time. 

Burnout is something that commonly creeps up on us. So, it’s important to recognise the signs as soon as possible. This means recognising that we are relying on high levels of stress to get through our daily lives. The earlier we notice it, the easier it’s to put in place habits that will prevent burnout. 

How to prevent or recover from burnout

Fighting burnout whenever strikes

Remember that in life we have a choice. We can choose to make our lives better. We always have choices about: 

‘The How’

You might be thinking ‘that’s easier to say, but not so easy to do’.  A simple exercise to help you manage this, is to write down all of the things in your life that you have control over. 

For instance, how you show up to work, whether you choose to respond immediately to that aggressive email and so on. 

‘The What’

Think about what the expectations you are holding on to are, whether this is of yourself or others. Are they too high? Could you take a different approach? Think about what is happening from the ‘other’ point of view. 

As much as we'd like people to pop out of the 'how to act at work' machine, and behave how they are expected to, they never do. Instead, we must come back to the 'how'. 

As much as we would like others to behave the way we want them to, we can only control our beliefs about ourselves and how we show up. 

‘The Whether or not to’ 

How easy do you find asking for help? How fiercely independent are you? Whether or not you can ask for help can make all the difference between an out-of-whack or well-balanced life.

If you are one of those people who struggle to ask for help, cut yourself some slack. Think about the people you admire. What has it taken to get them where they are? Chances are they created their very own network of support. For many, even just having the option to ask for support can be enough. 

‘The Fear’

This is a battle of confidence over fear. Do you consider yourself to be self-confident? Do you have high beliefs in what you can achieve? When fear steps into the ring, we lose the confidence to say 'no', or to simply switch off. 

As we begin to regain control over our lives, we can come face to face with fearful thoughts.

What if I lose my job? What if I lose my friends? 

It takes courage and self-belief to stand up to burnout. The great news is that once you take the reigns, start saying no, being kind of yourself and asking for help when you need to are all steps you can take to help you flourish. 

As life becomes clearer for you, you’ll find it easier to put your energy into activities that matter most to you. And when these things grow, so will your health and happiness. 

A final word on burnout

Master the art of happiness

Constant stress and burnout are our mind’s and body’s way of telling us that we need to make some changes. The kinds of changes that involve serious work on your mind and on your emotional habits. Working on these will build your capability and self-mastery, bringing about fundamental shifts in our lives.

You can also learn how to manage stress through laughter or try these three quick fixes for beating stress. For more inspiration, discover how Michelle beat stress through career coaching.

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